skating season....

Whoah! This blog has been neglected for far too long! January is when our competition season for skating begins and it pretty much takes over my life for a weeks. We started with Dress Rehearsal on January 3rd and then the first competition in the big city 3 hours away. I am co-managing a team this year, as well as organzing a team of volunteers for a Casino in April. The Casino is very important....it brings in $60,000-$70,000 for the club...which helps pay for travel, etc. This means I am fielding numerous emails, phone calls and other stuff to get these tasks done. I don't have my Christmas decorations put away yet...but I am getting close.

christmas rehab....

A few years ago I admitted myself to Christmas "rehab". Yes...I needed some work because the season was no longer enjoyable to me.....I was leaving everything to the last minute and having meltdowns because of the pressure. Something had to change......so I decided to do a complete rehaul of my Christmas habits. Number one on the list was dealing with the shopping...I would no longer leave my shopping to the week prior to Christmas. Full parking lots, empty shelves and long lineups be gone.....my new plan involved completing my shopping by December 1st...and NOT only would the shopping be done...but the WRAPPING as well. The decorating...well this too was to be done sometime between the day after Remembrance Day and December 1st.The baking projects....I plan those in November and compile a list of old favorites and new recipes to try and add whatever pantry items I need to my grocery list. The Christmas cards.....the photo would be taken in November and the cards mailed out in the first week of December. There are hidden benefits to this plan....if you stay out of the stores in December...you avoid impulse buys and items not in the budget. Plus, you really think twice about taking something home that must be wrapped when the wrapping is all done. So far, my Christmas rehab has worked well.....only a few slip ups here and there...but nothing a martini and a little chocolate can't fix. Our first little snow this year found me dragging barely out of the pyjamas kids to the backyard for some shots. Now off to cross some more projects off my list...

getting ready for the season...

I recently read a blog post about how November is all about preparing for Christmas and December is for enjoying Christmas. That idea really resonated with me......I try to have my Christmas shopping complete, my decorating done and gifts mailed off by December 1st. December is so much more enjoyable if all the hustle and bustle business is finished and the days become about doing whatever makes you happy......be it baking a special treat or getting together with friends. My sweet Mom made this urn for me before she left...I love it and my front door is all ready for Christmas.

hello november....

always be grateful......

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so.

~Mary Jean Iron

Menu Plan Monday...

I love when fall arrives and the menu can move to warm, spicy soups and fresh fruit cobblers and muffins. It so much easier to get inspired in the kitchen when the weather is cool.

Monday:Dad cooks.

Tuesday:Shepherd's Pie and Salad.

Wednesday: Vegetarian Night: Spicy Corn Chowder & homemade bread.

Thursday: Pork Tenderloin in the slow cooker with veggies.

Friday: Fish Night: Quick Fishermens Stew (Shrimp & Clams) and biscuits.

Pickled Beets project: completed
Baking Projects: 6-8 apple pies..some for the freezer and some to give away. (Mom! STOP laughing! My mom knows that MAKING pies is not my favorite thing...however...eating them...different story! I am trying to break out of my comfort zone. Lis, wanna help me make pies?)

In other news....I got a crown today. I wish I could say that it was the kind that was all sparkly and full of diamonds. It was actually the kind that was white porcelain and goes in your mouth and costs mucho dollars for something smaller than the size of a nickel. Hello laughing gas.

Menu Plan Monday....

Since I have been re-organizing and de-cluttering our home, I have discovered many lovely blogs devoted to this topic. One idea I came across was that of 'Menu Plan Monday'. I used to do weekly planning of meals....but I have fallen off the the wagon lately. So here goes:

Monday: Bad mommy day... hot dogs...I had a quilting class to get to tonight and today was my marketing day....so I only had time to make a quick meal....normally hot dogs are NOT a meal choice.
Tuesday: Beef tips in red wine in the crockpot with potatoes, carrots and green beans.
Wednesday: Homemade chicken & veggie pizza with bread machine wholewheat pizza crust.
Thursday: Vegetarian meal:Homemade macaroni & cheese & salad as per Hunter's request.
Friday: Fish night: Grilled Shrimp with Sweet Chilli Lime Drizzle (new recipe) & couscous.
Saturday: Sweet & Sour pork spare ribs, baked pototoes & salad as per Tyler's request.
Baking: Spicy Brownies, Cranberry Orange Muffins, Bread Machine Maritime Brown Bread ( you cannot buy it in Alberta).
Home preserving project: Pickled Beets. This requires wearing a PURPLE shirt!